Multi-Antenna Processing In Multi-Link Wireless Communication Systems

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first MLD configures the second number of RF chains for each link of the subset of links from the plurality of links before receiving the initial frame.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the indication is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) header of a frame that the first MLD transmits to the second MLD.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an identification of the subset of links is transmitted by the first MLD as an Operating Mode (OM) of the first MLD, wherein the OM further indicates that the first MLD operates with one of the first capability and the second capability.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein an indication of the subset of links is transmitted by the first MLD as one of a Quality of Service (QoS) Null frame and a Power Save (PS)-Poll frame of the first MLD in response to the second MLD transmitting a beacon frame monitored by the first MLD, wherein the beacon frame comprises a set of second MLD links enabled by the second MLD and the one of the QoS Null frame and the PS-Poll frame defines a set of first MLD links chosen from the set of second MLD links.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting by the first MLD, an information defining a maximum RF chain switching time.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the subset of links comprises an initial set of links used by the second MLD to transmit a Transmit Opportunity (TX_OP) packet during a period equal to the maximum RF chain switching time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first MLD is configured to configure the second number of RF chains for each link of the subset of links from the plurality of links before receiving the initial frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the indication is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) header of a frame that the first MLD transmits to the second MLD.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first MLD is a non-Access Point (AP) MLD and the second MLD is an AP MLD.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein two or more RF chains of the first MLD share a common transceiver during the multi-link exchange.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the plurality of links comprises a master link and a plurality of slave links, the non-AP MLD performing a multi-link exchange with the AP MLD by transceiving over the master link followed by transceiving over one or more slave links determined to be available based on a Clear Channel Assessment.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the non-AP MLD performs a multi-link exchange with the AP MLD by transceiving over one or more of the plurality of links determined by a traffic category of each of the one or more links.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein a Clear Channel Assessment detects and removes a busy link from the subset of links.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising transmitting by the non-AP MLD, an information defining a maximum RF chain switching time, and wherein the subset of links comprises an initial set of links used by the AP MLD to transmit a Transmit Opportunity (TX_OP) packet during a period equal to the maximum RF chain switching time.